ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST DOCTOR OF DENTAL SURGERY PROGRAM AT ZARQA UNIVERSITY, JORDAN

Abstract

The cornerstone of the health of society is primary health care. Efficient dental health care at all levels is directly linked to effective primary health care. In the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Faculty of Dentistry at Zarqa University obtained approval from the Jordanian Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission for Higher Education Institutions (AQACHEI) to start the program of Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), the first ever in a private university, beginning from the 2022/2023 academic year. A group of 130 local and 35 international students were accepted into the program. A novel and robust study plan, including a curriculum that focuses on clinical skills rather than basic medical sciences, was developed for this DDS program and was approved by the Faculty of Dentistry Council and the Deans Council of Zarqa University. The implementation of this study plan started with the first batch of selected students in October 2022 and the students are now in the summer semester of their first year of the program. Here, we describe the general outline and the study plan of this DDS program including its implementation instructions, and assessment methods as well as the challenges and implications for all stakeholders.